Welcome back
by ShadowDianne
Summary: Tumblr prompt: 1940's; Regina is waiting for Emma at the train station, together with the rest of the military wives.
1. Chapter 1

**(I've been reading about this particular period of time but after many tries I finally decided to go with my main idea so there are a few things that aren't historically accurate and for that I say sorry)**

"The troops are coming back"

That was what Regina heard, children, elderly men and women talking excitedly about the news, the words whispered, muttered, even screamed and no matter how much she tried to hide it the feeling of happiness always managed to put a smile on her face, her eyes unfocused, a sigh trapped between her lips.

"You are in love" Some had said to her, asking questions and exchanging looks when she refused to actually explain herself "You are in love"

And albeit she didn't say a thing, albeit she actually didn't tell them there she was, waiting nervously next to the many women who were looking, waiting, for their husbands.

Regina pursed her lips, careful to not stain her teeth with the lipstick as she waited with the rest of the women, murmurs and whispers, cries and nervous glances everywhere. They were there for the same reason than her and yet… she felt like an intruder, somehow she wasn't exactly the same, because how many women that were waiting at her side were in fact like her? How many would smile and pretend? Sighing, she glanced at her right, where Kathryn Midas stood, her eyes focused on something that Regina couldn't imagine what it was. She had lost the man who had asked her to be his wife a few weeks before the troops had been asked to return. Her presence was just another reminder and for a second she sighed inwardly, thinking again on what she was going to see once the train arrived.

Cheers and exclamations was what made her look at her right, a small smile widening her lips as the shilouette of a train started to be visible. The sound of children and women surrounded her in a cacophony that made her cringe as her eyes narrowed, trying to see a familiar set of green eyes peering over the windows of the train, the sound and smoke that normally made her feel dirty now making her think of an embrace that she had spent too much waiting for.

Once the train stopped and from the doors the first men started to appear, Regina felt the bodies of women and children rushing around her, pushing her aside sometimes, trying to get a hold for their dear ones. And even if she knew, that she knew she only needed to wait,she looked at were Kathryn had been standing, sharing a quick glance with the blonde woman who eyed wearily at the couple that were now embracing each other in front of her, the two of them the closest friends the man that had been weeks away from returning from the war had ever had.

"I think I told you that you didn't need to come" The words pretended to be soft, light, but when Regina turned, a startled look on her face, she could see the way the person that was standing in front of her seemed to be looking only at her, as if she was some kind of illusion and so she huffed.

Stepping forward, careful of her surroundings but unable to not smile, tears threatening to spill as she finally took a good look at the blonde, tall woman that was looking at her with her baggage over her shoulder and a glint of mischief glowing on her green eyes, she licked her lips, a sigh escaping from them.

"And leaving you alone without knowing how to even return back home?" She retorted, trying to look unaffected as she finally stopped in front of the taller woman. The uniform had always look good on her and for a second she smiled affectionally, wanting to caress that pale skin, now slightly tanned albeit not too much.

"Home?" The blonde asked, her voice now raspy, her lips trembling for a second.

"Home" The brunette answered, touching briefly the woman's blonde locks and humming in reprobation "You need to cut your curls dear"

Emma laughed, the booming sound making a few children look back at her as more officials exited from the train, the greeting sounds filling the train station.

"I've missed you" She murmured, hugging Regina as strong as she was able to, the strong scent of leather and cinnamon surrounding the brunette's space, filling her nose.

Letting her guard down for a second the brunette returned the hug, letting herself get lost on the sensation of finally having Emma with her once again.

"Me too dear" She murmured, thinking on all the months she has spent waiting, the discussion they had had the moment the blonde had told her her decision, the way the brunette herself had begged, the nightmares, the day she had received the first letter, the way Emma had asked for forgiveness, for a second chance. "Me too"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Sometime during the 1930/1940's. Emma works in a bar, Regina is a jazz singer. (tumblr prompt)  
I was asked this by the same anon that asked the first one so I decided to create the two of them in the same universe. This would be a prequel and also the start of the idea I've been thinking about

"Now I lay me to dream of you…"

The first time Emma entered in the "Storybrooke" as a simple waitress she remembered talking with different girls before the bar started to fill in, smoke and alcohol soon clouding the place in a fog that became the regular thing for her in where voices and lights seemed to become dimmer and less important as the night passed. Many years after that she still remembered the way she would reek at the end of the shift, a mix of sweat and perfumes clogging her nose until she was unable to smell anything else.

"Today we are going to be completely full" The manager of the bar stated, her old wise eyes looking at the girls with a ferocity that made Emma smile a little. "So have eyes in every single place and keep the customers as happy as possible"

The five girls murmured before starting to do their assigned jobs.

"Why are going to be full?" The blonde asked to the brunette young woman she had at her right, the lanky brunette shrugging before pointing at the little stage that was placed in the middle of the bar.

"Regina Mills is going to sing here for the first time here" The woman, who Emma would later know she went by the name of Ruby, informed her, a strange sound of longing on her voice. "She has become quite famous, you haven't heard about her before?"

The blonde shrugged; she had just arrived at the and so she didn't exactly know many stories about theoretically famous singers and the brunette, sensing that that was what Emma was going to answer, left. Leaving the blonde behind and readying herself as quick as possible in order to be presentable before her shift.

Once the doors were opened and men had started to enter the local Emma just let her mind wander as she attended as much clients as possible, smiling brightly at them and trying to make them like her.

That was the first time she saw her; between her first shift and trying to focus on some new client before her companions did. When Regina's voice had rose between the voices that filled the local every single soul inside of it turned, ready to listen to her.

The singer had a beautiful smile, her voice as rich and deep as her brown eyes that seemed to be looking at every single person inside the bar. Emma remembered many nights after that first one the way she had been completely transfixed by the woman. Her figure as sinful as her voice and for a second the blonde blinked, nervous that she had been too obvious, fearful of what could happen to her.

But no one had seen her; even the waitresses seeming to be completely enamored with the way the brunette sang, her voice carrying the words like no other.

And so, the blonde started to think if she could ever meet the beautiful singer, even if it was for only a few minutes. A part of her knowing that it was ridiculous notion.

She actually met the blonde the third night she heard her sing after her shift on the bar when almost everything was closed and the lights too dim to be considered safe. The brunette was in the corridor that led her from the stage towards the little room she used as her changing room and the blonde found herself unable to say something towards the beautiful woman.

Regina, who noticed the gaping blonde and smiled a little at that, nodded and approached her, battling her eyelashes like she did every night for everyone who listened to her.

"Yes?" She asked; her voice as rich and deep as it had seemed back in the stage.

"I… I'm sorry" The blonde answered, not knowing what else to say "I will let you pass"

That first talk, as small as it was, ignited the curiosity on the brunette, who started to look for the blonde every time she was on the stage, the lights of the bar weak but strong enough from time to time to show her the blonde's scarlet face whenever their eyes met. And even if Regina didn't exactly understand what she was doing, why she kept looking at the blonde time after the waitress turned and moved away from the stage, she kept doing it. Heart racing as she sang tune after tune.

A month after their first talk Emma actually found herself capable of trying to reach for Regina, smiling a little nervously when she encountered her after her shift, the bar almost closed by now.

"I was thinking if you didn't want something to drink" She asked, showing her the flask she had grabbed earlier when no one was looking. "Singing must leave you exhausted"

The brunette had smiled at that before nodding, approaching the blonde and taking the flask away, her brown curls bouncing for a second as she nodded.

"More than you would think and less than I would say" she had stated, drinking from the flask and directing a smirk at the now speechless blonde.

They had finished the flask, their voices filling the bar and later the streets as they walked together, the blonde carefully dressing herself as a man as she had done many times before in order to be sure than neither her (And Regina this time) ended up in some kind of problem.

That one night soon transformed into many others and as that first month slowly passed by the brunette started to receive presents and gifts from the men that listened to her every night, the brunette receiving them with a smile and kisses that made the blonde swallow back the ball of jealousy that grew with every gift.

"You should be careful" Ruby told her one night, her eyes darting towards where Regina was receiving another gift from an elderly man that went with the name of Gold. "About where you look"

The blonde looked at her, startled, but when the woman that had turned out to be a great friend smiled she relaxed a little.

"I won't say a thing" The lanky woman promised "But be carefully Emma, about what you do"

And so did Emma, be careful, not saying a thing even if she died a little every time the brunette accepted gifts and compliments from men that tripled her age.

"You seem to be thinking about something quite deep Miss Swan" The brunette asked her a few days after that, her red lips curved into a smile that made the blonde sigh as she tried to look away.

"Emma" The blonde repeated, eliciting a soft smile from the brunette who liked to make fun of her, drinking from the flask and shrugging, not quite sure of what she wanted to say. "I've been thinking on enlisting on the WAC"

That was something that had been on her mind, but she hadn't exactly thought a lot about it until Regina asked and when she saw how the woman's face paled she almost wished to take those words back.

"You want to fight?" The brunette asked, her voice suddenly losing her rich qualities.

"I don't know" The blonde answered honestly "But this can be a great opportunity, something that we as women can do, show that we are capable of everything"

"Including dying in the field" Regina interrupted her, her whole body seeming to be about to burst. "You are truly an idiot Emma"

The blonde had sighed, not entirely sure why she had told Regina that.

That night the brunette refused to walk back with her and Emma saw how she exited from the bar, not bothering to even call for her.

Three days after that conversation the blonde received the first bouquet of violets and one single sentence written in a neat handwriting. "Don't go" and even if she tried to talk with Regina that night the brunette refused to speak with her.

Not until the third bouquet arrived, Ruby giving it to the blonde with a curious look on her eyes as Emma smiled, the little sentence very clear this time.

"Please"

* * *

The "title" of the prompt is from the song with the same name performed by Una Mae Carlisle back on the 40's (1940 if I've done everything right and a jazz singer)

The WAC (Women's army corps) existed and it was created on 1942 albeit they weren't considered fully operational until 1943, since the prompt is set up in 1942 I wanted to have something real from that time.


End file.
